The United States has its fair share of beautiful cities, those areas that are known for their great year-round weather and proximity to other regions. One of these ideal locations is Santa Barbara, with its relative closeness to the economic powerhouse of Hollywood, which has for decades attracted the rich and famous, from Ellen DeGeneres and George Lucas to Oprah Winfrey. These Hollywood elite flock to this wealthy California enclave situated between the scenic Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
It’s easy to see why people would flock to Santa Barbara, where for more than a century it has been referred to as the American Riviera for a multitude of reasons besides its climate. However, it is not the only metropolitan area nationwide where a large share of the population is quite wealthy. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed median household annual income data in the 384 metropolitan statistical areas — an area that can include adjacent cities and communities — tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau from the 2022 American Community Survey to identify the 34 cities with the most households earning over $90k a year. The national annual median household income is $74,755. (Conversely, here are America’s 26 poorest large cities.)
The Santa Maria-Santa Barbara metropolitan statistical area stretches from the coast inland toward Bakersfield. While the median household income in this region is $90,894, the area also has the highest poverty rate among all the cities on this list. The metro area’s poverty rate of 14.4% is considerably higher than the national poverty rate of 12.6%, according to the ACS, illustrating that America’s affluent communities often are in proximity to poor ones.
California is home to eleven of the metropolitan areas with the highest median household income. Considering California is the most populous state in the country and has a gross domestic product of more than $3.7 trillion, which represents 14% of the U.S. economy, this makes sense. Of course, California is not without its share of financially struggling communities.
There are six state capitals, led by Boston, that are among the metro areas with the highest median household income, which is $104,299. Households in and near San Jose, California, lead the country in this metric, with a median household income that is almost double the national median. (Also see: cities that attracted the most new residents last year.)
Three of the affluent metropolitan areas on the list have poverty rates above the national average. Two are in California and the third is in the New York City metro area, where the median household income is $91,562 and the poverty rate is 12.8%.
Here are the cities with most households earning over $90k per year.
34. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
- Median household annual income: $90,216
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 16,937 (15.2%% of households – #28 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 32,721 (12.2%% – #232 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 282,013 – #28 largest MSA
33. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
- Median household annual income: $90,505
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 186,349 (16.5%% of households – #22 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 282,038 (10.1%% – #313 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 2,835,672 – #9 largest MSA
32. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
- Median household annual income: $90,894
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 27,770 (18.4%% of households – #14 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 60,837 (14.4%% – #144 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 443,837 – #21 largest MSA
31. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
- Median household annual income: $91,341
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 214,549 (14.5%% of households – #34 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 318,350 (8.8%% – #356 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 3,693,729 – #6 largest MSA
30. Barnstable Town, MA
- Median household annual income: $91,438
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 17,610 (16.4%% of households – #23 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 15,801 (6.9%% – #381 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 232,457 – #31 largest MSA
29. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Median household annual income: $91,562
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 1,454,593 (19.5%% of households – #11 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 2,467,826 (12.8%% – #201 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 19,617,869 – #1 largest MSA
28. Greeley, CO
- Median household annual income: $91,565
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 15,820 (12.8%% of households – #52 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 30,807 (8.9%% – #349 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 350,176 – #26 largest MSA
27. Salt Lake City, UT
- Median household annual income: $91,891
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 58,867 (13.1%% of households – #47 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 92,125 (7.4%% – #376 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 1,266,191 – #13 largest MSA
26. Ogden-Clearfield, UT
- Median household annual income: $92,600
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 27,381 (11.6%% of households – #66 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 50,439 (7.1%% – #380 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 714,919 – #17 largest MSA
25. Raleigh-Cary, NC
- Median household annual income: $92,739
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 87,109 (15.6%% of households – #27 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 114,884 (7.9%% – #372 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 1,484,338 – #12 largest MSA
24. Salinas, CA
- Median household annual income: $92,840
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 17,036 (12.9%% of households – #49 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 49,826 (12.0%% – #237 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 432,858 – #22 largest MSA
23. Vallejo, CA
- Median household annual income: $92,959
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 23,486 (14.7%% of households – #32 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 44,216 (10.1%% – #316 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 448,747 – #20 largest MSA
22. Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX
- Median household annual income: $94,604
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 175,533 (17.6%% of households – #18 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 223,947 (9.4%% – #335 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 2,421,115 – #10 largest MSA
21. Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI
- Median household annual income: $94,760
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 9,508 (16.6%% of households – #21 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 13,326 (8.2%% – #366 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 164,365 – #32 largest MSA
20. Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA
- Median household annual income: $94,775
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 14,916 (13.7%% of households – #39 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 26,790 (9.9%% – #322 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 277,673 – #29 largest MSA
19. Trenton-Princeton, NJ
- Median household annual income: $95,668
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 28,258 (19.5%% of households – #10 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 39,485 (10.9%% – #288 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 380,688 – #25 largest MSA
18. Provo-Orem, UT
- Median household annual income: $95,687
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 25,533 (12.2%% of households – #58 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 54,377 (7.8%% – #373 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 714,454 – #18 largest MSA
17. Anchorage, AK
- Median household annual income: $95,791
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 20,020 (13.4%% of households – #46 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 42,723 (10.9%% – #283 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 400,470 – #24 largest MSA
16. Boulder, CO
- Median household annual income: $96,079
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 28,450 (20.6%% of households – #9 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 38,849 (12.3%% – #226 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 327,468 – #27 largest MSA
15. Urban Honolulu, HI
- Median household annual income: $96,580
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 55,494 (16.4%% of households – #24 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 93,402 (9.7%% – #329 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 995,638 – #14 largest MSA
14. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
- Median household annual income: $96,830
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 35,114 (18.0%% of households – #16 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 42,045 (8.8%% – #353 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 482,650 – #19 largest MSA
13. Manchester-Nashua, NH
- Median household annual income: $96,921
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 28,332 (16.9%% of households – #20 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 25,980 (6.2%% – #383 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 426,594 – #23 largest MSA
12. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
- Median household annual income: $98,928
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 212,260 (18.1%% of households – #15 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 336,145 (10.6%% – #300 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 3,276,208 – #7 largest MSA
11. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
- Median household annual income: $98,975
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 218,512 (17.9%% of households – #17 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 246,333 (8.3%% – #364 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 2,985,871 – #8 largest MSA
10. Napa, CA
- Median household annual income: $100,318
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 9,463 (18.5%% of households – #13 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 11,603 (8.8%% – #354 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 134,300 – #33 largest MSA
9. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
- Median household annual income: $102,146
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 20,990 (21.9%% of households – #8 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 32,759 (12.9%% – #194 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 264,370 – #30 largest MSA
8. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
- Median household annual income: $102,569
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 53,954 (19.4%% of households – #12 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 76,843 (9.4%% – #337 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 832,605 – #16 largest MSA
7. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
- Median household annual income: $104,299
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 437,971 (22.5%% of households – #5 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 436,311 (9.2%% – #343 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 4,900,550 – #3 largest MSA
6. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
- Median household annual income: $105,968
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 89,458 (25.0%% of households – #3 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 89,059 (9.4%% – #334 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 963,211 – #15 largest MSA
5. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
- Median household annual income: $106,909
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 360,032 (22.3%% of households – #7 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 341,325 (8.6%% – #360 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 4,034,248 – #5 largest MSA
4. California-Lexington Park, MD
- Median household annual income: $113,717
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 9,939 (22.4%% of households – #6 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 9,144 (8.1%% – #367 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 114,877 – #34 largest MSA
3. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- Median household annual income: $117,432
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 604,638 (25.0%% of households – #4 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 494,897 (7.9%% – #371 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 6,373,829 – #2 largest MSA
2. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
- Median household annual income: $128,151
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 552,095 (31.7%% of households – #2 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 415,758 (9.2%% – #340 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 4,579,599 – #4 largest MSA
1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Median household annual income: $148,900
- Households with incomes $200,000 or more: 254,410 (37.6%% of households – #1 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- People in households with incomes under poverty line: 138,972 (7.3%% – #377 highest out of 382 MSAs)
- Population: 1,938,524 – #11 largest MSA
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